Resource security of healthcare in Russia: issues of territorial differentiation

Russia’s regions (federation subjects) vary greatly by level of socio-economic development; this fact leads to inequality in social infrastructure development as well. The same can be said about healthcare. There is a strong link between economic development in the regions and funding of medical care. It is necessary to point out that the actual level of morbidity and mortality is not reflected in the volumes of resource supply of the sector in terms of territories; consequently, the principles of social justice and social solidarity are violated. The article analyzes statistical data on the RF subjects and shows the extent of territorial disparities in the provision of population with the main healthcare resources: financial (the amount of per capita funding and the level of implementation of territorial programs of state guarantees), labor (provision of population with doctors and nursing staff), equipment (provision with hospital beds). The author points out the regions that show consistently low rates of resource security of healthcare. The article reveals that the differentiation between the RF subjects by level of per capita financing of healthcare reaches 10 times, the provision of population with doctors – 3 times, with nursing staff – 2 times, with hospital beds – 3 times. Moreover, territorial differences in the provision of Russia’s citizens with healthcare services are quite stable. The reduction of differentiation is observed only in the indicator of provision of citizens with ward beds; it was achieved through the restructuring and reduction of the number of hospital beds. Territorial inequalities in the provision of healthcare and population with resources still exist at the municipal level as well. Government agencies should conduct social policy that aims to eliminate sharp disparities in providing citizens with medical care; moreover, this should be done only by improving the situation in the regions where the situation is the gravest. In addition, it is necessary to use more extensively the mechanisms of funding taking into account the specifics of territories and objective needs of population with regard to healthcare. In Russia this process, as the article shows, is going on, but very slowly